Candy Kisses Read online

  by JoJo Siwa

  © 2019 Viacom International Inc. All rights reserved. Nickelodeon and all related titles and logos are trademarks of Viacom International Inc. JoJo Siwa is a trademark of JoJo Siwa Entertainment, LLC.

  eISBN 978-1-950837-05-2

  CONTENTS

  CHAPTER 1

  CHAPTER 2

  CHAPTER 3

  CHAPTER 4

  CHAPTER 5

  CHAPTER 6

  CHAPTER 7

  CHAPTER 8

  CHAPTER 9

  CHAPTER 10

  CHAPTER 11

  “I’ve got to try the special of the day—the heart-shaped pancakes,” JoJo Siwa said, grinning at the waitress as she scribbled away on her notepad. “With strawberries and whipped cream and chocolate sauce.” The waitress nodded, offering JoJo a smile. “Oh, and a glass of orange juice, please!”

  “I’ll have a cup of coffee and the stuffed French toast,” Jessalyn Siwa said, closing her menu and placing it on the table.

  “Mom, how can you pass up the chance to have heart-shaped pancakes? I mean, they only come around once a year!” JoJo exclaimed as the waitress walked away. “It’s almost Valentine’s Day! Heart-shaped foods should be eaten as often as possible!”

  “Well, technically, Valentine’s Day is still almost a month away,” Jess replied, laughing. “Plus, I figure I’ll just have a bite of yours.”

  “If I let you.” JoJo waggled her eyebrows. “I’ll probably want them all to myself …”

  “No problem,” Jess said. “That’s sort of how I’m feeling about my French toast. Remember French toast? Your favorite breakfast? Don’t worry, I’m sure I can handle it on my own.”

  “Correction: French toast is my favorite when heart-shaped pancakes aren’t on the menu! But fine. You win. We’ll share.” It was a game they always played—but they both always wound up sharing. JoJo knew the real reason her mom had ordered the stuffed French toast was because she knew how much JoJo loved it, and she had planned on sharing it with her all along. It was just one of the many things JoJo loved about her mom.

  Speaking of love … JoJo loved Valentine’s Day. It was one of her favorite holidays, right up there with Christmas, Halloween, and her birthday. And BowBow’s birthday, of course. BowBow was JoJo’s adorable teacup Yorkie.

  “We should talk about Valentine’s Day, actually,” Jessalyn said, taking a sip of her water. “Your dance workshop will be ending the day before Valentine’s Day, right? It’s going to be a very busy few weeks between now and then. Don’t forget, we have a showcase scheduled the weekend after Valentine’s Day and have to leave the morning of the sixteenth.”

  “That’s right,” JoJo replied. “You know, on second thought, I’m in no rush for Valentine’s Day to get here. I don’t want my class to go by too quickly. I can’t believe it’s finally about to start! It feels like I auditioned a million years ago …” JoJo paused as the waitress came by the table to drop off their beverages. “I’m still so excited I made it into the class!”

  “It’s definitely an honor to have been selected,” Jessalyn agreed as she poured a little milk into her coffee. “But I’m not surprised. You’ve worked so hard for this.”

  JoJo had auditioned for the dance workshop back in November. There were only ten spots available in the almost four-week class, which was an immersive, multidisciplinary workshop being taught exclusively for girls by one of the most famous retired female choreographers in the world. Female dancers of all ages, from all over the country, had auditioned to be accepted into the workshop, which was being held in Los Angeles. The spots were awarded on a scholarship basis, which meant the workshop was free to anyone who made it in. JoJo had been thrilled when she was accepted and had been counting down the days until it began. She’d even circled her first day in fluorescent pink marker on her calendar and drawn a bunch of hearts around it. And now the big day was finally here!

  “I can’t wait to see who else will be in the program,” JoJo said, drumming her fingers on the table. “And what kind of dancers they’ll be. I remember there were a bunch of classically trained ballerinas at the audition. I hope some of them made it in—it would be so cool to be dancing alongside actual professional ballerinas!”

  JoJo had plenty of experience with dance classes, since she’d been performing pretty much her whole life—first for fun and now professionally. She’d gotten an extra-early start, dancing onstage for the first time when she was only two years old! JoJo always felt right at home in a dance class and couldn’t wait to meet the other dancers in the workshop. She was sure it was going to be one of the most exciting opportunities of her life.

  “I bet there will be dancers from all disciplines,” Jessalyn said, sipping her coffee. “And I also wouldn’t be surprised if you are one of the youngest dancers in the workshop, if not the youngest.” Her mom put her mug down. “It’s a good thing you’re used to being the youngest one in the group!”

  “True.” JoJo nodded. “I’m always up for making new friends and adding some big sisters to my dance family.” Her eyes twinkled, and she bounced in her seat. She was so excited, it was hard to sit still!

  Just then, the waitress appeared at the table and plunked down two heavy plates. Jessalyn’s plate held two giant pieces of French toast sprinkled with powdered sugar and oozing maple syrup, but JoJo’s plate was nothing short of spectacular. JoJo inhaled the wonderful, sweet scent of pancakes and admired the perfect heart-shaped stack loaded with strawberries and fudge sauce. Her stomach growled at the sight.

  “I have to take a picture of these to send to Miley,” she said. The pancakes smelled even better than they looked, which was really saying something. A couple of the strawberries had been cut so they fanned out and formed little rose-shaped garnishes. JoJo snapped a picture of her beautiful breakfast and quickly sent it off to her BFF with some heart emojis. Miley was in school, so JoJo knew she wouldn’t be able to reply to the text for a while, but she also knew Miley would be happy to have a text waiting for her. Unable to wait even one more second, JoJo took an enormous bite.

  “Well, are they as good as they look?” her mom asked while JoJo chewed.

  JoJo nodded and widened her eyes to show her appreciation. “They. Are. Amazing,” she said once she finally swallowed. “Give me your plate.”

  “Only if you’ll take a piece of this French toast,” her mom said, cutting off a generous wedge. “Today we’re celebrating.”

  “Deal.” JoJo giggled, trading her mom a wedge of her pancakes for the syrupy French toast. “I’m going to need all the energy I can get!”

  A few hours later, JoJo was relaxing with BowBow in her pink-and-teal bedroom.

  “BowBow, any last words of wisdom before I leave for class?” JoJo asked.

  It was almost time to leave for dance class. The morning had seemed to crawl by after breakfast. JoJo had completed all of her homeschool assignments for the day, then changed into her favorite sparkly dancing gear for class. After debating for quite a while about which bow gave her the perfect “first day of dance workshop” look, JoJo had finally settled on a black one with clear rhinestones. It was one of her favorites, and it looked really cute with her black leggings and hot pink sequined top.

  “Um, excuse me, BowBow! I asked you a question.”

  As if on cue, BowBow barked.

  “That’s excellent advice!” JoJo cried, scooping up her little dog and giving her a kiss on the head. “I will definitely make sure to have the best time!”

  JoJo placed BowBow back on the ground and took one last look around her room to make sure she had everything she needed. She triple-checked her backpack for her lucky water bottle and her favorite hair ties. She was pretty sure she had everything. She ca
ught a glimpse of herself in the mirror over her dresser and smiled. “Let’s do this,” she told her reflection. She looked sparkly. She looked good. She looked like a dancer who was ready for anything.

  “JoJo Siwa, welcome to my studio.”

  A petite woman with short black hair greeted JoJo, a clipboard tucked under one arm, her other arm extended to shake hands. “I’m Roberta Robbins. I will be your instructor.”

  JoJo knew exactly who Roberta Robbins was—she was one of the best choreographers on the planet! She’d been a dancing legend on Broadway for years before becoming a choreographer for some of the most famous dancers in the business. Roberta’s soft, husky voice was even familiar to JoJo because she’d watched videos on YouTube of Roberta being interviewed. Roberta had been at JoJo’s audition but had not said a word; she’d simply nodded when JoJo finished her routine.

  “It’s nice to meet you,” JoJo replied, shaking Roberta’s hand. “I’m so excited to be here! Thank you for offering me a spot. I can’t wait for class to begin!”

  “Good,” Roberta replied, nodding briskly. “I like your energy—I remember that about you from your audition. Now go inside and meet the other girls. Class will begin in a little while, after everyone has arrived and gotten settled.”

  Murmuring her thanks, JoJo walked past Roberta, took a deep breath, and looked around. The studio looked very similar to the dozens of others JoJo had danced in. The central room was large and airy, with floor-to-ceiling mirrors running along the front wall. The side walls were painted light peach, and the wooden floors had that perfectly scuffed look that JoJo associated with dance studios. JoJo smiled, thinking of all the pairs of feet that had danced on these very floors under Roberta’s expert guidance. A long, wooden ballet barre was attached to the mirrors, and an additional barre was attached to one of the side walls.

  “Pretty cool being here, right?” A girl who looked to be about sixteen had walked up next to JoJo. JoJo turned to greet her, but the girl continued talking. “I’m Belle. Belle Manning?”

  From the way she said her name, JoJo had the feeling she was supposed to know who Belle was, but the girl didn’t look familiar to her. She was tall and slim, her light brown hair wrapped up in a bun on top of her head. JoJo was sure she’d never met her. “I’m JoJo,” she began. But again, the girl kept talking.

  “I know who you are!” Belle exclaimed, her pretty hazel eyes lighting up as she smiled. “I’m a fan! It’s so cool you’re in this class! I thought you might know who I am too. I mean, I’m not as famous as you, but I’ve had a few spots in some professional videos—probably people you know from Nickelodeon award shows and stuff …” Belle’s voice trailed off as she looked at JoJo expectantly.

  “It’s nice to meet you,” JoJo said with a smile. She definitely didn’t know Belle, but she didn’t want to say that. “It is really cool being here,” JoJo added, answering Belle’s initial question. “I’ve been counting down the days until the workshop begins! Literally marking them off on my calendar!”

  “That’s cute,” Belle replied. JoJo noticed she’d wrinkled her nose a little when she said it. “I want you to meet someone,” she said, taking JoJo’s arm and pulling her across the room to where a dancer was stretching at the barre along the wall. “This is Bahi. We just met, but she’s the best. We should all be friends. Bahi, this is JoJo Siwa!”

  Once again, the way Belle spoke left JoJo with the impression that there was a deeper meaning to what she’d said. In this case, she was pretty sure Belle and Bahi must have spotted her when she walked in and had been trying to decide who she was.

  Bahi looked up from her deep stretch and smiled. She looked to be about Belle’s age and was beautiful, with warm brown skin and shiny black hair worn in a bun, just like Belle’s. “It’s nice to meet you, JoJo. I’m a big fan! I absolutely loved your performance at the Kids’ Choice Awards, and—”

  “Don’t gush,” Belle said sharply, cutting Bahi off. She looked at JoJo and rolled her eyes. Sorry, she mouthed.

  “That’s okay!” JoJo replied, smiling warmly at Bahi. She’d noticed the way the smile had fallen from Bahi’s face when Belle snapped at her, and JoJo felt for the other girl. “Hearing someone is a fan never gets old,” she continued. “Thank you so much! I’m excited to be in class with you! So, where are you—”

  JoJo was just about to ask Bahi where she lived and what kind of dance she specialized in, but once again Belle spoke over her. “So the break room is back there,” she told JoJo, pointing to a door off the back wall of the studio. “Everyone gets their own cubby for your stuff. You can write your name on your cubby. Pick one close to mine!”

  “Thanks.” JoJo appreciated that Belle was trying to show her the ropes, but there was something about her that made JoJo feel a little uneasy. She definitely didn’t care for the way Belle had snapped at Bahi. However, JoJo believed in giving everyone a chance. Some people just didn’t make great first impressions. And some people started off on the wrong foot and then changed for the better and turned into great friends. JoJo thought of her friend Kyra, whom she and her closest friends had met over the summer. When they’d first met Kyra, she wasn’t very nice to their friend Grace, because she was jealous of her. But Kyra had apologized to Grace, and now the two girls were practically BFFs.

  “I just realized, I’m still wearing my jacket!” JoJo laughed and shrugged her backpack off her shoulder. “I’m gonna go drop my stuff off and—”

  “And you can fix your hair when you’re back there,” Belle finished.

  “What?” JoJo asked, unsure if she had heard Belle correctly.

  “You can fix your hair when you’re back there,” Belle repeated. “You’re not planning to wear it in a side pony with that rhinestone bow during class, are you?”

  “Belle, that’s her signature look,” Bahi whispered, just loudly enough for JoJo to hear.

  “I know that,” Belle replied, rolling her eyes at Bahi. Then she turned her gaze back to JoJo. “I just think that hairdo isn’t very … appropriate for class. You should put your hair up in a bun like Bahi and I did.”

  “Thanks, I’m good.” JoJo was sure now that her gut had been right about Belle. She probably wasn’t going to end up close friends with her. But that was okay. As much as JoJo loved making new friends, she knew not everyone was meant to become a friend. And first and foremost, she was there to dance! “I’m going to go get settled in. See you in a bit,” she added, waving as she walked away.

  JoJo made her way to the break room and found it already occupied by a handful of other girls. The girls appeared to be older teens and stood together chatting and laughing. From their simple pale pink and black leotards and flowy skirts, JoJo was sure they were ballerinas. It seemed as if they all knew each other—the professional ballet community was a small one, after all. The girls smiled at JoJo as she claimed a cubby and began removing her jacket. JoJo smiled back.

  Just then, a petite but powerful-looking girl dressed in a blue tracksuit walked into the room, and suddenly, everyone stopped talking and stared. Then, realizing it, the ballerinas laughed nervously and waved to the girl before resuming their chatter.

  Now, this girl was someone JoJo recognized. She was Michelle Lee, the famous ice dancer! Miley was a huge fan of Michelle’s, and JoJo was a pretty big fan too. She’d seen Michelle skate on television in major competitions many times and had always admired the grace and skill Michelle brought to her sport. At just sixteen years old, she was one of the youngest and most accomplished ice dancers in the country. JoJo couldn’t believe the famous athlete was in this workshop. She couldn’t wait to tell Miley!

  Michelle settled at a cubby near JoJo’s, scribbled her initials on the wipe-off board in front, peeled off her jacket to reveal a colorful bodysuit, and began placing her personal items in the bin.

  “Hi, Michelle, I’m JoJo Siwa.” JoJo gave Michelle a little wave a few moments later. “I’m a big fan of yours. Congrats on winning silver in last year’s ga
mes!”

  “Thanks,” Michelle replied. She turned to face JoJo as she began pulling her shiny dark hair into a ponytail. A look of recognition crossed her face. “Wait, I know who you are! You’re a singer, right? I’ve seen you on Nickelodeon …”

  “Yep, that’s me.” JoJo held up a hand. “Guilty!”

  Michelle nodded and gave JoJo a quick smile. “Nice meeting you. I’ll see you out there!”

  “Sounds good,” JoJo called as Michelle walked away. JoJo finished stowing her belongings in her bin and wrote her name, big and bold, across the wipe-off board.

  As she headed back into the studio, JoJo saw Michelle across the room near the wall barre. She seemed to be walking away from Belle and Bahi, who had another girl with them. JoJo noticed that Michelle was frowning. Belle spotted JoJo and waved her over. JoJo sighed quietly. She really didn’t want to spend more time with Belle before class began, but she also didn’t want to be rude. She made her way over to the group.

  “JoJo, this is Gabrielle—but we’re calling her Bree,” Belle said, pointing to a petite girl who was busily fixing her blond hair into a bun. “Bree, this is JoJo Siwa. She’s a cool famous person—unlike Michelle Lee.”

  Before JoJo could say anything, Belle continued. “We just tried introducing ourselves to Michelle Lee, and she was so unfriendly,” Belle whispered to JoJo. “Right, guys?”

  Bree shrugged uncomfortably, bobby pins sticking out of her mouth as she tried to fix her hair, which didn’t seem to want to stay put, while Bahi shook her head. “I don’t think she was being unfriendly. I think maybe she’s just shy.”

  “Yeah, I met her in the break room, and she seemed nice,” JoJo added.

  “Whatever.” Belle rolled her eyes. “Anyway, JoJo, do you have any sort of a B nickname you can go by? Any chance your middle name begins with a B and we can call you that?”

  “Wait, what?” JoJo couldn’t help but laugh. Had Belle really just asked her to change her name? “Oh, wait, you’re not joking?”